Schism
by whimsycality
Summary: Polar story that goes AU after Missing. Sequel to Poison and The Scientist.


**Title:** Schism  
**Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing, all characters and original Roswell settings belong to very lucky people. I also do not own the title or lyrics to Schism by Tool.  
**Pairings/Couples/Category:** Polar, UC, Post Episode Season One Ficlet  
**Rating:** Mature  
**Summary: **This is the sequel to Poison and The Scientist, and I recommend you read those first, Polar fic that goes AU after Missing.

**A/N: **So keep in mind that this is still before 285 South and nothing has happened between Maria and Michael, Liz as Maria's best friend is aware that Maria has a crush on him, even though Maria herself is still in denial, but there's no reason for Maria to feel hurt or betrayed. - Also Max is not going to go all evil pyscho stalker. He won't he happy for a while, but in the end he's not the bad guy of this story. I'm trying that all difficult semi Max friendly Polar story…we'll see how it goes

* * *

_I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them fall away  
Mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing,  
_

It turned out that Mrs. Topolsky was the new guidance counselor. Liz still didn't trust her, and she knew Michael didn't either, but until something else happened they both agreed to leave it alone. Which meant there was no longer an excuse to postpone telling the others of their new status.

So at lunch she dragged Maria to the far side of the football field, Michael was already there waiting with a concerned Max and Isabel at his side. Their eyes met and she basked in the heat she saw barely concealed beneath his brooding exterior. They could do this because Michael was completely and utterly worth it.

Dropping Maria's hand, she stepped forward and took Michael's, both of them pivoting to face the group. They were all quiet as Isabel looked on confused, while Maria's eyes had suddenly widened with shocked knowledge as she stared at her best friend.

Max's confusion was starting to fray into anger the longer he stared at their clasped hands and it was he who broke the silence with a loud, grating voice. "What's going on here?"

Michael tightened his grasp on her hand and she squeezed back reassuringly as he replied, "Liz and I just wanted to let you know that we're together now."

This time the silence was shattered by Max's harsh, broken laugh.

_Pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion  
Disintegrating as it goes testing our communication  
_

"You've got to be kidding me," Maria said, staring at them with an open mouth, and Michael braced himself for a tirade on how much he wasn't good enough for her best friend. Suddenly the blond squealed and leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Liz. "I'm so proud of you chica! Dating a bad boy, who knew you had it in you?"

Michael sighed with relief until another bitter chuckle pulled his gaze back to Max. "I certainly didn't."

Michael shot him a warning glance, he knew Max wasn't going to be happy and was prepared for some nasty comments in his direction, but he wouldn't stand for any made to Liz.

Something on Max's face changed as he shifted from anger back into confusion, his eyes widening as he turned them on Liz with mute appeal. "I thought we had a connection, Liz."

Michael felt Liz squeeze his hand once more before dropping it and stepping forward to face Max. He trusted her to not suddenly change her mind now, in front of everyone he cared about, but it was hard to overcome the shred of doubt that when faced with her alternatives she would abandon him.

He could survive the cold shoulder from his family, but if Liz left him now, now when they were so new and bright and he was just feeling his wall begin to crumble, he didn't think he'd make it.

_The light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so  
we cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication._

"We did have a connection Max. You saved my life and I'm very grateful for that fact, and that you trusted me enough to let me into your lives. I care about you Max, but just as a friend and I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted," Liz said gently but with an underlying steel that couldn't be ignored. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than necessary, but she also didn't want there to be any doubt regarding her intentions.

Reaching back, she took Michael's hand again; thumb stroking his palm as she felt his tension. She really wanted to get him off alone somewhere to see how he was really feeling, but that would have to wait. "I don't want this to ruin our friendship, Max, and I don't want this, want me, to come between you and Michael."

Max looked crushed, but at her last words that spark of anger flared back to life. "I can't promise that." Then with one last scathing look at Michael, and a heartbroken glance at her, he turned and stalked away, back stiff and shoulders hunched.

Isabel looked torn, clearly unsure as how to handle this sort of split between her brothers, but settled on giving Michael a half smile and saying "I'm glad you're happy" before turning and hurrying after Max, calling for him to wait.

Liz sighed and then turned into Michael, tucking herself under his arm and peering up into his suspiciously blank face. "Are you okay?"

He nodded; face still stoic, before softening slightly and dropping a light kiss on her lips. "I'll be fine."

Another sudden squeal interrupted them and Liz turned an amused gaze on her best friend who was watching them with a giddy smile. "You're so sweet! Oh I have to go tell Alex. I love you chica and I'll see you later!" she said with another squeal and hug before turning and racing off back towards the school.

_I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down  
no fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to_

Liz chuckled softly and Michael couldn't stop his own smile, "Well at least someone's happy." The words came out bitterer than he was intending, and he saw the smile drop from Liz's face as her dark eyes widened with concern, her hand reaching up to stroke his cheek as he cursed himself for ruining the moment.

"It's okay to be upset Michael; you don't have to pretend to be happy that Max isn't speaking to you for my sake."

Michael caught her hand in his but instead of speaking pulled her close for a kiss, not wanting to talk about his conflicting emotions of guilt and anger as he tried to decide who was to blame more, him or Max. The kiss started soft and gentle, but as with all of their interactions so far it heated quickly, and as their tongues danced against each other he gripped her tighter, one hand fisting in her hair as the other wrapped around her small waist. Her petite body was pressed against his and he could feel all her curves through the thin barrier of her clothing.

When her teeth latched onto his tongue bolts of lightning traveled straight from her hot little mouth to the now hard length in his pants, and the thought crossed his mind that this would be a lot more fun without that thin barrier. The tiny kernel of rational thought he had left reminded him that they were in the middle of the end zone, and that students, and probably teachers, would most definitely notice if he stripped her down and had his way with her right then and there.

Just the thought made him groan and he pulled his mouth away reluctantly, resting his forehead against hers as he stared into her lust dazed eyes. "The things you do to me Parker."

Max might never forgive him, and thought of the pain that would cause Liz angered him beyond words, but damn if seeing that delicate pink flush on her cheeks and the sexy way she lazily swiped her tongue along her bottom lip to capture the last taste of him wasn't worth it.

_Point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.  
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication._

Liz felt heat pool between her legs at the hungry, primal look in his eyes and tried to stave off her libido with thoughts of the group. Her voice was lower, huskier, sexier than she thought possible when she half growled "I want to take you into the eraser room and do more things to you, Michael, much more, but we need to talk about this."

She loved the way his eyes flared with desire at her first words and the way he straightened as if to pick her up and drag her in that direction right now until the last thing she said penetrated his thoughts. "What is there to talk about? Maria's fine with it, Isabel will come around, which I honestly wasn't expecting, but Max is not going to get over this."

She sighed and took a step back from him, lacing their fingers together and staring into the distance behind his shoulder as she thought. "I know, it's going to take time, but we need to stick together. At the very least we need to be able to talk to each other because a split right now could cause a lot worse than some arguments if Topolsky turns out to not be what she seems."

She turned her eyes back on her, boyfriend? "I want us to be safe Michael, if something happens and we can't stop it because of this, because of us…" she trailed off and closed her eyes, trying to fight off the horrifying images of what if.

She couldn't bear it if something so beautiful, caused something so horrible. She couldn't bear the fact that she knew Michael would blame himself if it did. He tried to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders and she wanted to help him bear the burden, not make it heavier.

_The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,  
And the circling is worth it.  
Finding beauty in the dissonance._

Michael wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed her forehead, all thoughts of passion banished at the sad look on her face. "I won't let that happen. Once he has time to cool off I'll go talk to him, try to make him see that we need each other."

He didn't hold much hope that he would get through to Max, the boy had denial and delusion down to an art, but maybe between he and Isabel they could at least get him to use his upstairs brain when something alien came up. He too feared that it would take something drastic, something dangerous, for his brother to come around and only hoped the cost of his awakening wasn't too high.

When she rested her head on his chest and slipped her arms around his waist, hand burrowing under his shirt to touch the bare skin of his back, he decided the cost would be worth it. He hated that the one thing he had always sworn against, forming attachments outside the group, had come between them at this crucial time. But he couldn't regret any of it.

The beautiful girl currently placing a kiss right over his heart was the first good thing to happen to him since finding Isabel and Max again in the third grade, and whatever friction resulted from him allowing himself to have that good thing was a price he was willing to pay.

The bell rang and he held her close for one more moment before leaning down and teasingly brushing his lips against hers to see one last flare of desire in her chocolate eyes before pulling away. "Time to get to class, Parker, wouldn't want to mar your perfect attendance record."

_There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away.  
Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting_

Liz raised an eyebrow at him, amused by his pointed smirk at how he affected her, and decided to turn the tables. Turning away, she began to walk slowly back towards the school, a little extra sway in her hips as she called over her shoulder "I was going to coax you into ditching fifth and sixth for the eraser room but you're right, never know when a Czechoslovakian emergency will come up, wouldn't do to get in trouble for something so silly."

She caught his mouth falling open out of the corner of her eye and grinned as she turned her gaze forward again, picking up the speed of her walking, and humming slightly to herself. One of these days she would drag him to the eraser room but for now it was more satisfying to let him suffer.

Her good mood was ruined when she spotted Max watching her from his locker as she entered the doors to the main hallway. His gaze was dark and brooding and hungry in a way that unnerved her, rather than arouse her as Michael's did.

Steeling her face into a neutral expression, she walked past him with only a faint acknowledging nod in his direction and headed to class, trying to ignore the goose bumps crawling down her spine at the feel of his eyes on her. Everything had been coming together since the Crash Festival, the group growing closer as Maria started trusting them, and even Isabel seemed to be softening slightly.

Now…she shook her head and took a seat at her usual desk in the front row, it didn't matter. They would find a way to keep the group together, even with this realignment. She refused to let what she had found with Michael cause it all to fall apart and she refused to give him up if that was the only way to put the group back together. She would pay any price but that.

Besides, she doubted she would succeed even if she tried, the pull between them was too strong to ignore or resist and she couldn't wait until the next time she felt his body burning against hers.

_I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing  
Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our communication._

Michael had followed her at a safe distance as she headed into the school, trying to control his hormones and the urge to catch up and shove her into the eraser room, common sense be damned.

When he saw the way Max looked at her, he had to resist a different urge entirely, every protective instinct in him surging to the forefront as he contemplated shoving Max against the lockers and telling him in no uncertain terms to not even consider trying to 'convince' Liz to change her mind.

But he knew if he did that, they wouldn't be able to come back from it and Liz was right, they needed him, they needed all of them to be a function unit or their lives could go to hell in a heartbeat. That didn't stop him from wanting to threaten the other boy, but it was enough to stop him from actually doing it and instead he turned down a branching hallway before Max noticed he was there.

He could be the bigger man; after all he was the one who had stolen the girl. Now as long as Max left said girl alone he would play nice, try to be friends. He would even try to resist touching Liz's addicting silken skin in public, as long as he got lots of time in private to make up for his sacrifice.

_Cold, cold, cold,  
Cold silence has  
a tendency to  
atrophy any  
sense of compassion.  
_

As she walked out of the school and headed down the sidewalk at a fast clip, in a hurry to get home so she could take a shower before her shift started, she paused as she saw Max leaning against his jeep, waiting for Isabel.

Wanting to say something, anything, in an attempt to make the impossible situation better she stopped in front of him, tilting her chin up so she could see his face. His eyes, usually warm and open when he looked at her, were ice cold as the swept over her face dismissively before he turned and pointedly looked in the other direction.

Stung despite herself Liz straightened. "It doesn't have to be this way, Max." Before he could reply with anything, argument or pleading, she turned and hurried away, desperate more than ever for a long shower to wash away the tension of the day's events.

Despite the connection and chemistry that had originally flared between them they had never been a couple, and so while she could understand his hurt and confusion there was only so much anger she was willing to bear the brunt of. Or let Michael be the brunt of.

The thought of Michael lifted most of her now dark mood and she smiled, unconsciously licking her lips as she remembered that last fiery kiss at the end of lunch. She had never truly experienced chemistry until she'd given into the allure of Michael Guerin, and now that she had she knew she would never settle for anything less.

Her pace quickened again, the sooner she started her shift the sooner it would be over, and if she was lucky she'd have another pleasurable rendezvous on her balcony tonight.

_Between supposed lovers  
between supposed brothers._

Michael found himself on Liz's balcony that night, waiting for her to come upstairs. After pacing restlessly for a few minutes he settled down onto her lawn chair, eyes glancing over at the loose brick she now hid her journal behind as the temptation to read it, see what she had to say about him now, made his fingers twitch.

The sound of her window sliding up saved him from himself, and he turned to face her, lips unconsciously twitching into a half smile as he saw her eyes search for his and warm instantly when they met. Walking slowly towards him, her exhaustion from the long day evident in every line of her tiny frame, she collapsed into his lap without preamble, resting her head on his shoulder and loosely wrapping her arms around his torso.

It was a strangely tender moment and the contrast with the passionate heat of their other moments stunned him for a second as his arms moved of their own accord to pull her closer, protectively cradling her in his embrace.

Leaning back in the chair he relaxed and closed his eyes, letting his own stress about Max and everything melt away with the feel of her warmth against him. There would be time for passion later, for now he was willing to accept the comfort she offered and give some in return as they mourned the loss of a brother and friend and enjoyed their newfound status with each other.


End file.
